Henby howson



(No Model.) 2Sheets- Sheet 1.

- H. HOWSON.

Telephonic Apparatus.

No. 238,689. Patented 'March 8,1881.

1 7y I IIQfiT FIG, 3.

NJETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WKSRIRGIPN. D C.

(No'ModeL) v ZSheets-ShetZ.

H. HOWSO'N. Telephonic- Apparatus. No. 238,689: Patented March 8, I881.-

N. PETERS, PKOTD-UTHOGRAFHER; WASHINGTON. D C.

UNrrED STATES LATENT FFICE.

HENRY HOWSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN L. KITE,OF SAME PLACE.

TELEPHONIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lgtters Patent No. 238,689, dated March 8,1881,

Application filed January 18, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY HOWSON, a citizenof the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented an Improvement in Telephonic Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention consists in combining a movable receiver, a transmitter,and switch of telephonic apparatus with mechanism through the medium ofwhich the switch is automatically operated in adjusting the receiver toand releasing it from contact with the ear of the operator, themechanism being such that both hands of the operator are at libertywhile he is receiving and transmitting messages.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front view oftelephonic apparatus with my improvements; Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig.1; Fig. 3, a view of a receiver,

which may be used in connection with myimprovements; Figs. 4, 5, and 6,views representing a modification of my invention; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are views of further modifications.

It may be stated in the outset that the devices through the medium ofwhich the receiver of telephonic apparatus is combined with the switchto bring about the desired result admit of many variations, thecharacter of the ap- 0 pliances used depending partly on that of thetelephone and partly on its locality. In Figs. 1 and 2, for instance, anordinary Bell-telephone box, A, and a microphone transmitter, B, aresecured to the wall 1), near the corner 3 5 of a room, of which Drepresents another wall built at right angles to the wall D.

The receiver E, which may be of the style shown or of any of the styles,is carried by an arm, F, on a shaft, G, which is adapted to 0 hearingson a board, b, secured to the wall D; or the bearings may be attacheddirectly to the said wall, the arm being near one end of the shaft, andanother arm, H, being secured to the other end of the shaft, and beingin such 5 a position that it will bear on the switch-arm I of thetelephone when the receiver and its arm F are in the position shown byplain lines in Fig. 1. This arm I is the same as that from which theordinary receiver is usually suspended, when the telephone is not inuse, the weight (No model.)

of the receiver depressing the switch-arm and keeping the telephoniccircuit disconnected, and the circuit being established whenever the armI is relieved from the weight of the receiver. 5 5

It is to avoid the necessity of holding the receiver in the hand whilemessages are transmitted and received which constitutes the main objectof my invention.

When the arm F has been raised to the position shown by dotted lines inFig. 1, the flaring end of the receiver will be in a proper position forthe ear of the operator, whose mouth is directly in front of and at anappropriate distance from the transmitter, and by a slight pressure ofhis ear against the receiver he can maintain the latter and the arm inan elevated position, and the arm H so far above the switch I that thecircuit will be connected for receiving and transmitting messages; butwhen the operator, by withdrawing his head, releases the receiver andarm, they will fall to the position indicated by plain lines, and thecircuit will be disconnected, owing to the depression of the switch bythe arm H.

The arm F is preferably made adjustable on the rod, bothcircumferentially and longitudinally, so that when the receiver isapplied to the ear of the operator his mouth may be in a proper positionin respect to the transmitter. It is also advisable to make the receiverE adjustable on the end of the arm F, which, in the present instance, isprovided with a clamp for grasping the said receiver.

The arm F and its receiver may be so couuterweight'ed that a very slightpressure of the ear against the receiver will serve to maintain it andits arm in an elevated position; but, if desired, the receiver may beprovided with a projection, 12, Fig. 3, for resting on the ear, 0 asshown in Fig. 3.

In order to obviate a shock when the arm and receiver are released, Iprefer to make the arm H slightly elastic by bending it, as shown; or aspring may be interposed between arigid 5 arm, H, and the switch, eitherby securing it to the former or to the latter.

It will be seen that after the first adjustment of the receiver to theear of the operator both his hands will be at liberty during thetransmission and reception of messages, and consequently that he will beenabled to write at a properly-situated desk, W, with the same ease andcomfort as at an ordinary desk.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 a telephone is situated against a wall, at such adistance from the corner of the room that the above-described appliancescannot be used to advantage; hence I pivot a receiver-carryin g arm, F,to hearin gs which are secured to the board to which the telephone-boxA, transmitter B, and desk W are attached, a rod, m, being joined at itslower end to the arm F, the end of the switch-arm I passing through aslot in the upper portion of the said rod. A spring is contained withinthe slot at the upper end of the rod, so as to absorb the shock when thearm is released, and the spring or a washer beneath the same is broughtinto violent contact with the switch and depresses the same.

As remarked above, different appliances may be used for causing amovable receiver to operate the switch. In Fig. 7, for instance, thereceiver is carried by a rod arranged to slide freely in the socket t,from which the rod must be partly withdrawn to adjust the receiver tothe ear of the operator, whose mouth is opposite to the transmitter, therod, which may be partly counterbalanced, falling when released, andstriking the lever K, to which a rod similar to that shown in Fig. 5 isconnected.

In Fig. 8 a treadle is used for raising the receiver to the ear of theoperator, who is stationed in a proper position in respect to thetransmitter. Thedevicestbrinsuringlheautomatic action of the switch may,in this case, be the same as in Fig. 5.

I claim as my invention In telephonic-apparatus, the combination of afiansinitter, a switch, a receiver, and a support for the same, withmechanism whereby the receiver may be held to the ear without the aid ofthe hands, and whereby the switch is automatically operated on adjustingand releasing the receiver, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed niyname to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY HOWSON.

Witnesses J AS. F. TOBIN, HARRY SMITH.

